


Who wants to live forever

by zazajb



Category: Torchwood
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-03-21
Updated: 2014-03-21
Packaged: 2018-01-16 11:52:09
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,627
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1346428
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/zazajb/pseuds/zazajb
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jack always know this day would come - can he change the course of events?<br/>CoE compliant...but trust me yeah?</p><p>Follow up to 'Can't let you go'  http://archiveofourown.org/works/1280986</p>
            </blockquote>





	Who wants to live forever

Title: Who wants to live forever..?  
Author: zazajb  
Rating: NC-17, adult concepts, occasional language, M/M  
Pairings/Characters: Jack/Ianto, mentions of team  
Spoilers/ **Warnings** – Character death/COE compliant ** [ _trust me...yeah?_ ] **  
Summary: Jack always knew this day would come...can he change the course of events?  Set some time after ‘Can’t let you go’ [ <http://zazajb.livejournal.com/58586.html> ]   Words 5500

Fic masterlist:  <http://zazajb.livejournal.com/6286.html>

Disclaimer: I own none of the characters; they belong to RTD and the BBC even if they don’t know how to look after them properly. I also don’t own the gorgeous Mr Adam Lambert or the amazing Queen song which inspired this little offering!  <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CYqVKf2dr3Q>  
  
X-posted here, there and everywhere - apologies to those getting this multiple times

A/N Yet more apologies! Been a mad time – son moved into flat with his girlfriend so we’ve been doing all of that, relatives to stay and hubby on holiday from work again so more things keeping me away from my keyboard...and now I’m back at work myself! Hope you enjoy, and Twos and Blues will be next...

**Who wants to live forever..?**

He’d known this day would come.

Ever since the Doctor had left him that prism.

It had given him time to plan...and re-plan...and plan all over again...

He knew _exactly_ what he had to do... _exactly_ how this all had to play out...

This wasn’t some wibbly-wobbly-timey-whimey-stuff...this was a cold, hard, shit-real fixed time event. It _had to happen..._

_Only he was going to cheat time out of one teeny tiny detail..._

_Today was the day the children stopped..._

Their day started well enough with banter and alien symbiotic implants, a touch of tender role play for a sympathetic doctor... He wanted to hug Ianto tight when he stumbled over his words at the realisation that the doctor had labelled them as a couple...the delighted joy on his face... _we are a couple sweetheart..._ no matter what you call us, we’re together and I should’ve just told you there and then... I should’ve held you and told you how much I loved you... _have always loved you...will always love you..._

All this time he’d had his gorgeous Welshman by his side and never truly appreciated the beauty of the simple things – those stolen moments in their often frantic days, a hot hard kiss after a close shave with a weevil, a look or a touch when it was _just them, right here, right now_ and the rest of the world faded away...their time together so often seemed to be a succession of these stolen moments... _there’s no time for us, there’s no place for us..._

And then they discovered that the children had stopped the world over...and events swung into action...

_“We are coming...”_

It should’ve been so simple. Work with the Government; the very Government they were outside, beyond...but never considered that they’d want them eliminated... _what is this thing that builds our dreams – yet slips away from us?_

Knowing what was coming wasn’t always a good thing...Gwen was pregnant, fantastic news for her and Rhys...and him...oh, he had a bomb in his stomach...that was going to hurt... _fuck!_

At least he could make that kiss really count...a kiss to die for... _Who wants to live forever?_

Without Ianto by my side...w _ho wants to live forever?_ Destiny? Fate? Without Timelord intervention? _There’s no chance for us, it’s all decided for us..._

 That kiss had to count...he had to remember it if it was the last one they ever got to taste... _this world has only one sweet moment set aside for us..._

 _I love you, Ianto, more than life..._ That’s what I’m saying...only I can’t say the words... _who wants to live forever?_

Watching the man he loved ascending on the invisible lift, Jack tried to reassure him that he’d be back...”I always come back...” _Now get the fuck out of here...I need you to live..._ Five...four...three...two...one...and merciful blackness after a split second of white hot agony... _Who wants to live forever?_

Coming back from that was beyond torture...and then knowing what was still yet to come... However, the team were frantically at work trying to figure it all out, Frobisher, the children, Clem, the 456...” _we are here...”_  A new ally on the inside – Lois was a brave and lovely addition to the team [and the only one not currently surviving as a part of the criminal underworld]  - with the aid of some unusual TW contact lenses gave them access to the proceedings on Floor 13...

They wanted children – lots and lots of children...ten percent of the earth’s population...

The challenge now was to get inside Thames House. Having admitted his past involvement from 1965 and died at Clem’s hand, Jack was determined to ensure that this time the 456 left empty handed and Ianto was equally determined to be by his side when they were sent packing. Loyal, steadfast, unwavering in his love and support for his dynamic Captain, they stood shoulder to shoulder... _who dares to love forever..._

And destined to die in his arms today... _when love must die..._

“You’re not getting one single solitary child...”

“Hey! I _like_ the philosophy!”

“I gathered! Dry Welsh humour reminded him just how much he loved this man...

 “You yielded in the past...” the voice of evil.

This was all going wrong...it was supposed to different from the events he’d watched unfold in that tiny prism...

Jack gripped Ianto’s shoulders tightly and crushed their lips together, a fierce, passionate kiss, tongue demanding entry to his mouth to map the contours hungrily...as if committing them to memory...

“You will die. Even now...”

“What's that noise? What's it doing? We gotta get you out of here. I can survive anything, but you can't”

 **“** It's too late. I've breathed the air...” Realisation struck... Cold. Hard. Brutal. I’m going to die... Regrets...

 **“** There's gotta be something... there's gotta be an antidote...” Jack was distraught.

“You said you would fight...“ the 456 taunted him, enjoying his pain

“And I take it back, alright? I take it all back, but _not him_..!” Jack cried out, heart-wrenching cries, raw anguish ripping through his heart as Ianto fell to the floor and he caught him in his arms, tugging him close...

” No! No, no, no, no, no. Ianto? It's all my fault...” Jack sobbed _So touch my tears, with your lips..._

“No it's not...”

“Don't speak, save your breath...” Tears poured down his face. “... _touch my world with your fingertips..._

“I love you...”

 Jack howled; raw, primal, inhuman...his soul shattered into a thousand pieces...

“Don't... Ianto? Ianto? Ianto, stay with me, Ianto, stay with me please... Stay with me, stay with me...”

“Hey, it was...good, yeah?”

“Yeah...”

“You'll forget me...”

“Never could...”

“In a thousand years time, you won't remember me...” _And we can have forever..._

“Yes I will, Ianto... I promise, I will...”  Ianto..? Ianto..? Don't go, don't leave me, please... Please, don't...” ... _and we can love forever..._

“You will die. And tomorrow your people will deliver the children...”

Jack looked at the creatures in the tank with hatred, feeling his life force seeping away... “Ianto, I love you, I’m so sorry...Ianto...” _Forever, is ours today..._ his last thoughts as he pressed his lips to the Welshman’s before slumping beside him...

Gwen approached the sheeted bodies, her legs trembling, and sank down between them, turning Jack’s cover sheet back with a tiny smile as she surveyed his still form... _who wants to love forever?_ It was only a matter of time before he revived...

The smile faded as she turned to the covered form next to him. Carefully folding back the sheet she stifled a sob. Ianto looked like he was asleep or suspended in time. She reached down to minutely adjust his tie, the silk a perfect knot at his throat. This time the sob escaped and tears spilled down her cheeks...

Beside her, Jack opened his eyes, an almost silent intake of air quashing the usual gasp of pain as he was hauled over broken glass to be hurled once more back from the darkness... _who wants to live forever?_ He blinked, remembering...

Sitting up gingerly, he moved to drape an arm around Gwen’s shoulders, squeezing tightly as she gave him a sad, watery smile. Her expression turned to one of confusion as he gazed down at the figure of his beautiful Welshman and smiled, reaching to take Ianto’s hand in his and interlink their fingers. “Now we wait...” _Forever is ours..._

“Jack...he’s...he’s d...” another sob burst out and fresh tears filled her eyes, “he’s _dead_...and I’m so sorry, Jack...”

“We wait...”

Minutes passed...

Minutes turned into hours...

Gwen pressed a kiss to his temple and carefully got to her feet “I’ll leave you to...” she couldn’t find the right words... Grimacing, she took a breath in. “I’ll be with them...” she nodded towards the small gathering of suits only just a respectable distance away, watching them.

Jack remained where he was as Gwen schooled her features into a neutral expression, the pity lurking within her eyes. Smiling again, Jack met her gaze briefly and returned to his silent vigil.

Time crawled on. Even the guards had gone when, finally, Ianto’s fingers twitched, then his hands and he drew in a huge shaky breath, opening his eyes to blink dazedly into Jack’s swirling blue grey depths.

“Welcome back, sweetheart!”

“What happened Jack? Last thing I remember was standing in front of that tank with the 456 in it...” he frowned as more memories surfaced “I was dying...in your arms...” He struggled to sit up, his blue eyes widening as he whispered “am I dead?”

Tears falling freely down his face, Jack crawled into Ianto’s space and wrapped him into his arms “ _IloveyouIloveyouIloveyou...”_ the words running into each other. “No, you’re alive, and I should’ve told you every day, that I love you...” Their mouths met in a fierce kiss, teeth clashing, passion bruising lips, hands clawing at clothing as they attempted to reach the warm flesh below.

Breaking apart for air, they rested their foreheads together, lips pink and kiss swollen. “How?” Ianto’s question murmured soft against his ear had Jack shuddering as the scene replayed in his head. He shifted their position, settling Ianto between his legs, the Welshman leaning back against him as he wrapped his coat around them both and they revelled in the reassuring warmth of each other’s body.

“A while ago, you remember the Doctor paid us a visit in the middle of the night? By the time I’d dragged my trousers on and climbed upstairs, he’d gone. He left me a “your eyes only’ note and a prism...”

His lips met Ianto’s as the Welshman turned his head, his questions lost against Jack’s mouth and he moaned softly as their tongues danced a seductive rumba, fingers threading through hair and cupping faces. Surrounded by dead bodies in a makeshift morgue, it made for a surreal experience and, despite jack’s assurances, Ianto still wasn’t sure if he was dreaming...

“The prism showed me the thing with the 456 and...” he stopped suddenly, not wanting to say the words.

“Cariad?” Ianto’s breath was warm and real against his skin and he gripped the young man’s hands tightly.

“You died...” his voice barely audible. “...in my arms, never knowing how much I loved you...” a muffled sob escaped his lips “I never told you...”

“Sshh...” Ianto turned in his Captain’s arms and traced a finger down the side of his face. “I _always_ knew...”

“But...”

“Just because we didn’t say it, doesn’t mean it’s not there...” he smiled, that just-for-Jack-when-we’re-alone tiny smile “but it’s nice to actually hear it!” He captured Jack’s mouth softly, pulling back to rub their noses together, before resuming their previous position and settling back against the other man’s chest. “So...if I died...how am I not dead now?”

Jack buried his face into Ianto’s hair and inhaled, the familiar scent of his Welshman grounding him before he closed his eyes, images rolling through his head as he remembered...

His eyes still glistening with tears, Jack climbed back down the ladder. Ianto was sat up, his legs over the side of the bunk and a mix of apprehension and worry on his face.

“The Doctor?”

“Gone!”

“What did he want?”

“Don’t know...” Jack shrugged in a deliberately casual way “he’d gone before I got up there...” he sighed heavily.

“You were gone a while...I was about to get up...”

“I checked the hub...nothing...” he lied, adding another half-shrug.

Ianto reached out “come back to bed, cariad...” clear blue eyes locked gazes with troubled blue grey pools and a sudden smile curved the corners of the Welshman’s mouth “I’ll take your mind off your errant Doctor...” he patted the tiny bunk invitingly.

Jack fell into Ianto’s arms as their lips met in a sweet and endless kiss, tongues colliding to map the contours of each other’s mouths, soft moans lost against rising passion as Ianto tugged at Jack’s trousers “ _Off!”_ he ordered as they broke briefly for oxygen, sinking straight back in to hot, wet, open-mouthed kisses, bodies arching together as throbbing arousals sought friction...

Jack savoured every touch of Ianto’s lips as they licked and nibbled their way down his body, every kiss like fire on heated skin and when Ianto’s mouth closed over him and he was engulfed in the moist warmth, his focus narrowed to Ianto’s tongue and teeth and the way they drove him towards the edge at nine hundred miles an hour... A strangled yell escaped as Ianto took him deeper, humming around Jack’s sensitive flesh until he spilled, hot and hard, down his Welshman’s throat.

Ianto grinned, crawling back up Jack’s boneless body to crush their lips together, Jack’s tongue chasing the taste of himself around Ianto’s mouth. They broke apart, panting. Gazing deep into his Welshman’s eyes, Jack knew he could finally say those three little words “Ianto, I...”

“Sshh! You wanna help me with this?” Ianto ground his hips against Jack’s thigh, whimpering as Jack pressed back and tiny ripples of pleasure tingled his nerve endings. _“Please...I need you...”_

Reaching up, Jack grabbed Ianto’s hand and sucked three fingers into his mouth, loving the wanton moans that fell from between the other man’s pink and kiss swollen lips as he grazed his teeth lightly over the joints. Pulling them out with a pop, he guided them between his own legs, brushing the entrance to his body.

Ianto’s sudden sharp intake of breath drew a knowing grin as the Welshman’s synapses caught up with his body’s responses and he slipped one finger inside, moving slowly before twisting it to brush that magic spot, chuckling when his Captain’s eyes darkened with desire and he thrust down against Ianto’s finger. Jack’s moans increased in volume as a second finger joined the first, moving with tantalising deliberation, hitting that spot repeatedly to draw mewls of pleasure and urgent gasps of “ _more...now...please...”_ the desire building once more in an impressive recovery.

Ianto moved them so he could see Jack’s face as he lined up and pushed in slowly, an inch at a time until they were joined. The feeling was incredible as Ianto began to move, the tight heat and friction sending delicious tendrils of sensation zinging through them as passion burned hotly and they hurtled towards the precipice, finally exploding together in a cascade of exquisite release, every nerve ending thrumming with pleasure.

Panting hard, Ianto collapsed onto his Captain’s chest, their mouths meeting in a messy and sloppy kiss as the warmth of the afterglow radiated through them. They lay, still joined, kissing lazily, for several minutes, enjoying the closeness until goose bumps began to pepper their skin. Parting reluctantly, Ianto slid off the bed and padded to the bathroom to grab a warm cloth to mop them up. He dropped the cloth to the floor and snuggled into Jack’s arms, kissing him tenderly before closing his eyes as sleep claimed him.

Jack held him tightly as he slept, his face pressed into Ianto’s hair as he inhaled the combined scents of everything Ianto and sex. It was both grounding and terrifying at the same time as the images from the prism rolled on slow repeat through his head. It was a very long time before Jack finally fell back to sleep.

In the cold light of morning, Jack was half-tempted to dismiss the nocturnal Timelord visit as a dream until he opened his desk drawer and the prism was there...for real... _Ianto was really going to die unless he did something..._

He spent most of the morning staring blankly at the files on his desk, stabbing vacantly at the paper with his pen, the only signs of activity when Ianto bought him coffee... Ianto was too smart to be fooled however, leaning against the desk with a smile as he held Jack’s fresh coffee just out of reach.

“That’s the same file you’ve had out all morning...”

Jack shrugged “you got me!” he looked away, not wanting the Welshman to see the haunted look in his eyes

“What’s wrong?” concern flooded crystal blue pools.

“Just not in the mood...” he shrugged again, only half-lying “...after last night...the Doctor...”

Ianto’s fingers brushed his cheek softly “he’s not worth it! C’mon!” he tugged on Jack’s hand and hauled him out of his chair. “I was going to order lunch in, but you can come with me to collect instead...do you good to get some fresh Welsh rain running down your neck!” He held Jack’s coat out, smoothing the heavy fabric down over his Captain’s shoulders as he slid his arms into it. They leant against each other for a moment, savouring the warmth and reassurance. Jack closed his eyes, blocking out the image of Ianto dying in his arms...

Stepping away, Ianto headed towards the door of the office. “I’ll grab my coat...”

Jack watched him walk away, committing the view of his perfect arse, in snug-fitting charcoal wool-blend, to memory before following his beloved Welshman to the invisible lift.

It had stopped raining, but was blustery and overcast, the waves angry and restless out in the bay. Jack paused before stepping off the lift slab, sliding his arm around Ianto’s waist to pull him in for a long, lingering kiss that left the young man dizzy and weak at the knees. Without giving Ianto a chance to say a word, Jack entwined their fingers and dragged him off, first to the fish and chip shop and then to the stall that sold fresh mini doughnuts. They made their way back to the hub with a bulging bag of fragrant fish and chips mingled with the delicious aroma of two dozen cinnamon-sugared mini ring doughnuts.

It was a lively lunch as the team laughed and re-lived old stories, Jack gazing at Ianto so hard he thought he would surely shatter into pieces from the intensity. _I can’t lose him...I love him..._

As the Welshman headed to the kitchen to make fresh coffee, Jack decided on a plan...

They’d been back at their workstations barely five minutes when the rift alarm sounded. Tosh’s fingers flew over the keyboard. “Weevils...looks like two, moving down the alley behind the post office...”

“Gwen? Fancy a bit of rounding up? You and Ianto go and I’ll finish the  clearing up!”

Whatever the Welshman might’ve been thinking about this suggestion, he didn’t show it, merely nodding and holding his hands out for the keys Jack tossed in his direction as Gwen shrugged into her leather jacket. The roller door clunked shut behind them, leaving Tosh looking somewhat stunned and Owen openly gaping.

Jack grinned, putting aside his desperate worry momentarily to enjoy the shocked looks on their faces; it wasn’t often that Owen was rendered speechless...not that it lasted, of course!

“What the fuck?” Owen recovered quickly, although his mouth still hung open as he watched Jack pick up the last of the rubbish from their lunch and stuff it into the bin bag Ianto had left to one side.

Winking at Tosh who was now talking on her comm. unit, guiding the SUV towards the weevils who had now moved on from the alley, Jack moved closer to his medic. “Can I talk to you?”

Worry immediately replaced stunned as the dominant expression on Owen’s face. “Down here...” it wasn’t a request and Jack followed his medic obediently down to autopsy. He sat on the stool that Owen pushed him towards and looked down at his hands, twisting them into his lap. Owen’s concern rose another notch.

“Talk!” his bedside manner was not his best feature, but Jack was grateful for the verbal shove.

“It’s Ianto...I...er...I need your help...”

“Viagra’s not working? You need something stronger? You shag too much!” the snarky reply brought a chuckle from his Captain and a rather rude gesture that Owen mirrored back to him.

Ice duly broken, Owen dragged another stool across next to Jack and grabbed an autopsy report which he opened and folded over the top page. “It’ll look like we’re working...” he offered briefly by way of explanation.

Jack nodded, took a deep breath and began. “The Doctor came by last night...oh, he didn’t stay long enough for me...us...to see him. By the time I’d got my trousers on and up the ladder he’d gone.” He paused, waiting for a comment.

Owen merely grunted and leant forward a little more.

“He left me a prism that showed me how Ianto dies...I don’t know when it will happen, but it _will_ happen – unless I figure out how to stop it or change it... “ he gasped as the reality of the words hit him and his eyes filled with tears. “ _I can’t lose him, Owen...”_

Snark and sarcasm might be the primary tools in Owen’s armoury, but under that gruff exterior a soft heart lurked in the darkness and as Jack twisted his hands once more, the medic pondered thoughtfully on the problem at hand. “How?”

“Poison...in the air...tasteless and rapid acting...alien... He...he dies in my arms...”

Owen squeezed his Captain’s arm briefly in a quiet gesture of support and encouragement. “Keep talking...”

“...he collapses and it’s only minutes before he’s barely conscious. Everyone else in the building dies as well, apart from the janitor bloke who climbs into an airtight oxygen suit. He must’ve inhaled some but not enough to kill him...” Tears dripped silently down his face as he saw the slow replay in his head.

“Can I see the prism?”

“No!”

“Does my future self have anything to say about this?”

“Owen...” Jack finally met his gaze, the depth of pain and regret tumbling deep within glassy blue grey depths telling Owen all that he needed to know.

“Oh, fuck! Okay...” he looked away, mumbling a string of profanities before squaring his shoulders and focusing on the mystery airborne virus. “What are these aliens?”

“Never seen them. Back in the sixties they called them the 456 – after the radio frequency they used. We know _nothing_ about them... _nothing...”_ Clenching his fists, Jack struggled to maintain his control.

Frowning, Owen pushed aside his thoughts regarding his own mortality and considered what little he knew. The beginnings of an idea began to emerge but he needed time to formalise it. “Right. I need time to think. I suggest you send us all home early and immerse yourself in tea boy...just be careful...I assume he doesn’t know?”

“Nope. He thinks I’m brooding because the Doctor didn’t hang around long enough to say hello...”

“That’ll do as a distraction. Take him out, wine and dine him, bring him home and shag him into the middle of next week...”

“You’re quite the romantic at heart. Dr Harper!”

“Just don’t tell anyone – I’ve got a rep to protect!” Owen grinned faintly “I’ll have a think about this little dilemma...now piss off and let me do my work...”

“Thank you...” Jack squeezed Owen’s shoulder as he headed back up the stairs to the main work space. Tosh was still tapping away on her program protocols and Gwen and Ianto were still out.

“They’re on the way back...” Tosh offered as he peered over her shoulder.

“Thanks...”

“Are you...” she hesitated “are you okay Jack? You seem a little distracted...”

“Blame Ianto’s tight suits and how hot he looks with his sleeves rolled up!” he kissed her cheek fondly “I’m good...so good, in fact, I think we can all do with an early night! As soon as they get back, everyone can pack up and go home!”

Five minutes later, Ianto and Gwen returned. Ten minutes after that, Gwen had skipped out happily, her phone pressed to her ear as she gave Rhys the good news of the early finish; Owen had escorted a reluctant Tosh out of the door, shushing her protests about her programs she was running with the promise of a hot chocolate...Jack and Ianto were left alone.

Tugging the young man into his arms, Jack captured his lips, tongue pressing for entry where it mapped Ianto’s mouth possessively as the Welshman melted into his embrace. They came up briefly to recharge air supply before sinking straight back into deep, slow kisses, hands threading through hair and pressing bodies closer... Breaking apart, long pleasurable minutes later, they stood with arms wrapped around each other in companionable silence.

Remembering Owen’s advice, Jack set the rift monitor to his wrist strap and took his Welshman to dinner before taking him to bed and loving him, completely, passionately and repeatedly, into the early hours. Finally, he held him tight and listened to Ianto’s soft breathing as he slept, hoping that Owen would find a way to save this beautiful man...the man he couldn’t ever imagine living without...

Owen was early to work, so early that not only did he beat Tosh in, he also caught Jack ravishing a partially dressed Ianto who blushed scarlet and hurried down to Jack’s bunker to finish dressing.

Jack grinned at Owen’s pained expression “You told me to!”

“Yeah, and if I told you jump in front of a bus you’d do that too?” Owen huffed, rolling his eyes in a remarkable impression of Ianto.

Jack’s smile faded “I would - if it saved him, I’d do it a thousand times...”

Their mood suddenly sombre, Owen beckoned Jack down to autopsy. “I did some research and tossed a few ideas around. I have a suggestion that I think would work...you might not like it, but I think it could save him...” he shrugged his thin shoulders “it’s not like we have endless options...”

“So, what is it?”

“You have to kill him before they do...obviously I mean _appear to kill him..._ ”

Jack looked thoughtful before nodding “what did you have in mind?”

“A nerve agent. He has to avoid breathing the poison stuff in, so we’d have to stop him breathing to prevent that. I can combine it with a strong sedative so there’s no pain....but...”

“But..?”

“Jack, Owen? Do you want your coffee down there?” Ianto leant over the railings and Jack was glad for the distance between them so he could control his urgent need to wrap the Welshman into his arms and kiss him into oblivion.

“We’ll come up...”

“Give me ten minutes then and we can have bacon sandwiches as well. Tosh’ll be in by then too...” Ianto grinned and vanished from view.

“Tea boy spoils you!”

“Yeah...” Jack smiled contentedly “...in so many ways...” the smile morphed into a leer.

“Don’t you dare!” he admonished as Jack opened his mouth to continue. Relenting at the sadness lurking beneath the bravado in his Captain’s eyes, Owen nudged him gently. “Shall we get back to the plan? As I was saying, he’ll have to appear to die...” he paused and took a breath “It means that Ianto will think he _is_ dying...and it _has to be that way..._ ”

Jack’s body tensed as he took in the meaning of his medic’s words, his mouth opening without any sound coming out as he struggled to find an alternative way to save his beloved Welshman. There wasn’t one...

“I’ll trial some different doses to see how long they take to take effect _and_ how long it takes to wear off...you might want to suggest I’m on a research project in case the others wonder why I’m being anti-social!”

“Thank you, Owen...” Jack’s voice shook...”thank you...”

“Oh and one more thing...you’ll need to retcon me once it’s all set up...” Owen shuddered “I don’t want to remember that I’m going to die before that happens...deal?”

“Deal!” The sound of the roller door filtered down from above “Now, I do remember bacon sandwiches were promised...”

“After me, Harkness!” Owen scampered past him and bounded up the stairs just in time to receive a steaming mug of coffee and a chunky doorstep bacon and ketchup sandwich – Ianto knew _just_ how Owen liked them!

The day passed slowly, nothing more than some space junk to disturb their tedious paperwork. Jack took Ianto with him as it was out in the woods and some open air intimate attention would definitely brighten their day! Accordingly, they were back somewhat later than expected, both with wide grins and a satisfied glow...

Two days later, Owen was in early again, missing the ravishing this time, by a couple of minutes! Ianto was making coffee, reappearing in just his boxers and his shirt, unbuttoned, and nothing else, the medic finding the sight of him padding around in bare feet strangely erotic!

Jack nodded as Owen took his coffee with a grunted “thanks” and headed down to autopsy. “I’ve got the results of that biopsy, Jack...”

“I’ll be down in a minute...” Jack called after his retreating back. He took his mug off the tray and kissed Ianto softly, lips warm and pliant under his own as tongue slid against tongue and the world faded away. Several pleasurable minutes later, they parted and headed off, somewhat breathless, in different directions...

Down in autopsy, Owen opened his file and tapped the combination into the drugs safe. He picked up two pill bottles and placed them on the table.

“This capsule has the nerve agent and sedative in it. It works within minutes and should last up to twelve hours – I did a test on me and I was out for just over that, although I don’t know what effect the alien virus will have on his recovery time... You’ll need to make sure he swallows it – how you do that is up to you...” Owen paused and rested a hand on his Captain’s arm. “I hope my death is swift...and meaningful...y’know...” he stumbled awkwardly for words “I just hope it’s a good one...”

“Owen...I’m...”

“Don’t you get all mushy on me now!” The Owen-snark was back. “Retcon me now before I throw up!” he smiled faintly “I’ve got a detailed file of autopsy stuff for that Cumquonth I’ve been using as a cover for this research so I won’t be lost... Good luck...”

Opening the second bottle, Jack tipped out a four day dosage and balanced it on his palm. Owen looked at it momentarily before throwing it down his throat and washing it down with the last of his coffee. “See you on the other side...”

Jack tugged the medic into a hug and kissed him lightly “You won’t remember this anyway! Thank you, Owen. You’re a true friend...”

Nodding sleepily, Owen dropped into his chair at his desk and rested his head back. Moments later he was asleep, snoring softly...

Jack tucked the other bottle into his pocket and returned the retcon to the drugs locker before hurrying up the stairs to join a startled Ianto by dropping from half way up the ladder. Once landed, the Welshman’s careful dressing was reversed and they tumbled naked onto Jack’s tiny bunk to lose themselves in each other...

Another shower and a second attempt at dressing later, they were ready for whatever the world...and the rift...decided to throw at them. As Ianto left his office, Jack patted his pocket with the pill bottle in and tried to forget... _that_ day would come...

Surrounded by sheeted dead bodies, Ianto shifted slightly to look at his Captain as he finished the tale of Ianto’s _death_ and return.

“So how did you get me to swallow the capsule? I don’t remember that?”

“I had it in my mouth when I kissed you...”

“Oh...” realisation dawned “smart move!” Ianto arched his neck to capture Jack’s lips, the kiss full of love and tenderness. “How long was I out?”

“No idea...a while... I wasn’t going anywhere until you came back to me...”

“But what if it’d been _days...weeks..?_ ”

“I’d be here...”

“But...”

“I knew you’d come back to me...time didn’t matter...” _...who waits forever anyway?_

Moving carefully, Jack hauled Ianto to his feet, pausing momentarily to bury his face in the young man’s neck as he breathed in everything that was _Ianto..._ “Now let’s go make Gwen’s day and then we’ve got my grandson to save...” he grinned as Ianto’s eyebrow arched questioningly “and that’s a whole other story!”

Hand in hand they left the building...

End

  



End file.
